- Brioche dough
Take a fresh saucepan if you are using the gas stove or in the case of a microwave a regular sized cup would also do. Now, pour the milk along with 1 tablespoon worth of honey and heat it up till the point it reaches a temperature between 110 degree and 115 degree Fahrenheit. You can measure the temperature using an instant read thermometer.
For the next step you will have to move fast. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add yeast over it while using an electric mixer. Mixt it thoroughly and next, allow it to stand for 10 minutes till the point the yeast starts to foam and it becomes creamy. Hereon while using either a paddle or the hook attachment at slow speed, pour in eggs, all-purpose flour, the sugar, and salt. You will have to mix this mixture till the point it blends. Next, add the bread flour, and keep on mixing till the mixture takes the shape of smooth and elastic dough. To assess if the dough is right, check if it has stuck on to the paddles or on the walls of the bowl, if it hasn’t, only in that case is the dough perfect. On the other hand, if it seems to stick, then add some of the remaining bread flour until the dough gets cleaner and slides off the sides of the bowl and the paddles.
Next, add about 1 tablespoon worth of butter and mix it with the dough. After the mixing is done, the dough will become very soft. Now, place the dough on to the work surface and just knead it by hand for a bit. Give the dough a proper balls shape and then place it into a medium sized butter bowl, cover it using a plastic and place it in a warmer location and let it be there for about 1 ½ to 2 hours till the time its volume doubles.
Now, you can take the dough and deflate it by slowly punching and kneading it a few times. Next, you can place this dough into the bowl and refrigerate it after placing a cover on top for at least 4 hours. Keep an eye on it and after the time has passed it ideally should have doubled in volume. If it doesn’t then let it stay for a while on room temperature for a bit longer, sometimes it can take as long as 12 hours for it to attain the desired volume so be patient.
Take a spring-form pan, ideally it should be no bigger than 9” and lubricate its bottom and sides using butter. Take the dough and turn it into a ball and then set it in the centre of the pan by properly arranging it. You will then be required to cover the pan and let it rise till the point it puffs up. It should take no longer than an hour.
- The Honey and Almond Topping
Take another saucepan and place it on medium heat. Next, add the combination of butter, sugar, and salt into it. Bring it to a boil while stirring in the almonds.
You can then pour this mixture over the dough evenly. In the meantime also preheat the oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit and bake it for about 25 minutes till it attains the golden brown colouring and becomes bubbly. Furthermore, allow it to cool down and then remove it from the springboard pan.
While serving the Bienenstich
Ideally you could use a serrated knife for the cutting of the cake. You can also place the cake on top of a rotating stand and cut smoothly though the centre till it is an even half.
Now, gently spread the pastry cream, keeping in mind the narrow edges. Finally, you can put back the other half on top and the Bienenstich is ready to be served and eaten. This sugary, vanilla centred and the crunchy almond crust – all in all it makes up a supreme delight.